To be in control
by paranoid woman
Summary: COMPLETE. This story is about Colby's free day. Who says Gen can't be smexy?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** **"To be in control" – Part 1/5**  
**Characters:** Colby.  
**Rating:** **MA**  
**Spoilers:** None.

**Warnings:** **Adult content**.  
**Summary:** Colby starts his free day doing something that makes him feel close to home.

**Author's note:** This was written for the "All about Colby" challenge on savecolby community all over at LiveJournal.

**Feedback:** I love feedback. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it, but I do own the original ideas and any OCs.  
**Beta:**_Thanks to my amazing beta._

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**To be in Control**

_Part 1/5_

The first rays of light came through the window, brushing the soft texture of the sheets that were tangled in the bed. A gorgeous, well-muscled man was lying underneath them, hoping that the clock would never wake him up.

But, of course, it did. The tune of a Travis Tritt song rang through the room, the fast tempo of the music designed to help Colby muster the energy to get out of bed. He moved under the sheets, hugging the pillow close to his body, expression grumpy.

A ray of light fell directly on his eyes, making it impossible for him to continue sleeping, no matter how comfortable the position he'd found was.

It was too late to go back to sleep. Colby barely opened his eyes. His free day had arrived and there he was again at his apartment, waking up, trying to take things easy and calm down after a week full of crime and horror.

Like he did every time he could get out of his routine, he rubbed his eyes, ran his hands though his spiky hair and rested on his elbows. He could see his feet slipping out from under the white sheets, his room starting to be visible again thanks to the light, his clothes on a chair, carefully folded.

Not wanting to do anything but rest, Colby let himself fall onto the bed again, and he lay there for a few seconds thinking about what he was going to do today.

"C'mon, wake up. You said you'd do it."

He rubbed his face one more time and finally got up. Lazily, he walked into the kitchen and tugged at the blind a little so he could see the sun in the sky. He smiled at the thought that it was going to be a good day. A day to do whatever he'd like, in absence of people who could judge him for that.

Smiling widely, Colby turned around and started to open the cabinets, searching for ingredients. "Mint cream brownies… Colby style," he muttered while he looked at a magazine about Idaho's new recipes. Mint was very in now, being one of the most important crops of the area. "If you can't be in Idaho, bring Idaho to you."

Soon, the kitchen smelled of Belgian chocolate and mint. Colby stood at the counter mixing the butter with the sugar, adding the beaten eggs and the chocolate syrup.

And he was naked.

He loved to be naked at home. In fact, he always slept without any clothes on when it was his free day. It gave him that sense of freedom, like nothing, not work, not even his past, could catch him anymore.

Colby sighed when a little syrup feel over his thigh, the black texture sliding down his perfect skin until it reached his knee. Smiling, he ran a finger over the chocolate and licked it. He thought about how good it tasted, tilted his head to the side and bit his lip. It was such a great flavor.

He continued preparing his recipe, like nothing had happened. Soon the baking was done and the brownies were ready.

It was time to make the mint cream. Singing happily the country music tune that was still playing in the background, Colby mixed more butter, more sugar, milk and some mint cream he had bought a few days ago. Finally, he added a few drops of pure peppermint oil.

A few minutes later, he had finished carefully spreading the mint cream over the brownies. They needed to be refrigerated, so he put them on a tray and balanced it while he walked towards the fridge.

But one of the brownies fell from the tray and landed on his naked crotch. The sensation made him shiver while the piece slowly lost its cream and it ran over one of his legs, the one that wasn't stained with chocolate.

Colby put the tray on the fridge very quickly and then he turned around, looking for a dish cloth to clean himself. When he found it and started to wipe his private area, he suddenly stopped, breathing hard.

He had just woken up and he already had a hard-on. And it was because of the chocolate and the mint cream that was running down crotch and his legs.

Using the dish cloth wasn't going to work. It was embarrassing to get turned-on because of food, when it wasn't a person the one who was spreading it over his muscular figure. Maybe he was hypersensitive today, but the brushes of brownies against his skin made him tremble and left him with sparks of arousal that he couldn't really bear today. But he had to face that he needed to get himself off before he exploded at the sight of the rest of the food that was still in the kitchen.

He didn't even look at the food. He left the dish cloth on the counter and got to the bathroom, opened the shower and let the water pour over his body.

And Colby wasn't surprised when the little drops falling onto him caused him to get even hotter. He breathed hard under the spray, pressing his back against the wall, and then he looked down. His cock was stiff while the water erased the traces of mint and chocolate from him.

He didn't want to do it, but it was too much to resist. His hand involuntarily slid down and caressed his own hardness with the tip of his fingers.

Colby groaned deeply while the unexpected pleasure reached him, just because of that soft touch. It wasn't that he had never jerked off before; he had done it thousands of times. In the shower, in the room, on the bed, even in the kitchen.

But he had never had a combination of arousals coming from the different places and things that attracted him. A hard-on to get rid of in the bathroom, food falling onto his body on the kitchen. He could even notice that he had started to get hot when he was trying to wake up. The brush of the sheets against his crotch was anticipating this moment, screaming at him, begging him to take care of the fire before he got burnt by it.

He rested his head against the wall, took a breath, and both of his hands enveloped his cock.

His fingers moved up and down, circling the head, shaping the shaft. Then his palm pressed flat against the tip of his lengh, making him moan a little louder, deeper.

But he was in control. No matter how much he wanted to scream from pleasure, he would restrain himself and do it calmly.

And yet, the cold, then warm, waves were taking over his head, not letting him make conscious decisions.

Colby started to pump himself faster, harder, the way he hadn't done for a week now. He was desperate to come, desperate to come down from his arousal, desperate to be able to be in control again. He was a soldier. He had been taught to hold himself together.

He spilled himself over his own hands. Warm cum reached his fingers and was washed by the water from the spray. And those fingers hadn't stopped moving yet; he needed those last waves to last a little longer.

However, soon they were gone. Colby released his softer cock and rested his hands on the wall he had leaned over. He left little stains of cum on it, but he never noticed it. He concentrated on the proper use of soap to clean himself up and some shampoo to wash his hair.

And when he got out of the shower, he was a little embarrassed by what he had done. Strangely, he couldn't stop wondering what anyone would have said if they had been there, watching him.

Thinking that it was a ridiculous idea, Colby smiled and shook his head while he used the towel and then combed his hair. He had the right to do what he had done because it was something private. Something that would only please him, and eventually, if he got lucky, some beautiful lady, too.

So it wasn't that bad. After all, he had been in control. He hadn't screamed. He had come in almost complete silence.

Feeling sure that he had done the right thing, he didn't put any clothes on. It was his free day, his day to absolutely be the way he was.

It was his day to enjoy in private all those things that duty didn't allow him to show to the world.

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_**A/N: FEEDBACK IS LOVE.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** **"To be in control" – Part 2/5**  
**Characters:** Colby.  
**Rating:** M.  
**Spoilers:** None.

**Warnings:** None.  
**Summary:** Colby decides to do some exercise until afternoon arrives.

**Author's note:** This was written for the "All about Colby" challenge on savecolby community all over at LiveJournal.

**Feedback:** I love feedback. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it.  
**Beta:**_Thanks to my amazing beta._

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**To be in Control**

_Part 2__/5_

Of course, Colby wasn't going to spend his entire free day at home. It was a wonderful morning and the nice weather always made him feel the urge to get a little taste of the reality that existed outside the FBI.

He needed to disconnect a little bit, so why shouldn't he start the day with some hours of running alone? He'd have to get another shower afterwards, but it was always good to lose some of the stress he'd gained over the week.

Slowly, he opened his closet and ran his fingers over the fabric of his perfectly folded shirts and suits, looking for his casual clothes. They were at the bottom, reserved for the only day of the week he could actually enjoy them for real.

Colby took his black running shorts and his navy blue sleeveless shirt and walked into the bathroom. He closed the door and a few minutes later, he walked out looking like a well-muscled, attractive athlete.

Next, he sat on the bed and put on his socks and his running shoes. Just tying his shoelaces made him smile in anticipation. And when he got out of his apartment with his bag, he knew that this day was going to be fantastic and that he had to enjoy it as much as he could.

The first contact with the morning air made him want to arrive to his destination right now. But still, he got in his car, threw his bag on the passenger seat and tried to stay in control. He was going to be there, eventually; there was no hurry.

Colby drove for a while, not really aware of the minutes that passed by, simply because the fantasy of getting to that place overwhelmed him every time he thought about it. Having the opportunity to cross the city just to have a little freedom in a place were no one could talk to him about work was too much to resist.

Soon enough, he was already there.

He got out of the car with his bag and looked at the unique scene he had in front of him.

The weather was perfect; it wasn't too hot, there wasn't too much wind. The air seemed to be cleaner than the one from the city. The beach was bright and almost empty because it was early, and the waves of the ocean were moving to a soft and relaxing rhythm.

He went towards the ocean, stood still, took a deep breath and tried to relax. It had been one hell of a week, and Colby needed a change for at least twenty four hours.

Running beside the ocean was such a great sensation. It made him calmer, it made his thoughts come to the right place, it made him start to let go of all the things that had bothered him lately. Maybe some kid that had turned out to be a murderer, or a perfect father that had a secret life as a drug dealer and cheated on his innocent, loving wife.

Those cases didn't matter. What mattered was that he was there, at the beach, with some unknown people just living their lives and not paying any attention to him.

There were no judgments, and that was his best reward for all his hard work.

Fresh air against his clothes, against his skin, making him feel the stillness of heart that was missing the rest of the week. Sometimes he even looked at the sun above him, felt its warm rays reaching every cell of his body, transforming light into the energy he needed to go on.

It was like he didn't feel the weight of his body, like there were no problems, no more things that needed to be fixed. Nothing but himself and his pure, authentic, own view of life itself, a journey that, looking back, seemed to be troubled but that looking ahead, it seemed promising and infinite.

Because, after all he'd been through, all he could count on was the future and the goodness of Fate.

And of course, the perfection of the present. It was absolutely priceless.

Digging his shoes into the sand, very close to the ocean, he ran on the beach, watching a couple of surfers have their fun. Surfing looked exciting sometimes; maybe some other time, probably next week, he could try that out.

Soon, Colby was leaving the beach and getting into the city. He didn't want to lose the feeling of being by himself in the middle of the crowded streets, so he pulled out his MP3 player and put the earphones on. One of his favorite Travis Tritt songs started to play; it was the same he had been listening to that morning.

It was a song full of joy and emotion, and it always made him smile, no matter how many issues he had to solve. He would probably play it again in his stereo when he got home that night.

That music helped him to survive the hundreds of people in every corner he passed by. Strangely, it was able to erase the external sound, allowing him to focus on his breathing, on the beat of his heart, on every step he made.

When he started to get tired, he pulled out a bottle of water from his bag. He stopped at a park to rest a little, and he sat on a bench. Not thinking about the people that surrounded him and were enjoying their own day, he drank some water and took some deep breaths.

And in that moment, Colby realized that he was covered in sweat. It had been a while since the last time he had gone running, and the sensation of needing a shower made him make an impromptu decision.

He took the bottle and poured the water on himself. The transparent liquid fell directly onto his head and slid over his neck, chest and arms, a little bit even falling on his shorts.

The water dampening his clothes and its freshness brushing the pores of his skin made him feel a little safer. He was relieved to get the right body temperature again; the heat was now overwhelming, and he still had a couple of hours to keep running and keep his mind open to anything but work.

Colby ran his fingers through his wet hair, little drops of water splashing his bag and even the bench he was seated on. Then he ran his hands over his face, leaving it shiny and wet, not bothering to dry it with a towel of anything like that.

There was no need for that.

Colby was in a part of L.A. where no one knew him or could judge his past actions. And he had Travis Tritt on his MP3.

He was completely free.

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_**A/N: FEEDBACK IS LOVE.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** **"To be in control" – Part 3/5**  
**Characters:** Colby, OMC.  
**Rating:** **MA for safety.**  
**Spoilers:** None.

**Summary:** Colby goes shopping.

**Author's note:** This was written for the "All about Colby" challenge on savecolby community all over at LiveJournal.

**Feedback:** I love feedback. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it, but I do own the original ideas and any OCs.  
**Beta:**_Thanks to my amazing beta._

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**To be in Control**

_Part 3__/5_

When Colby drove back home, he remembered that there was something he hadn't done that week and that he'd been postponing day after day.

After taking another shower and changing his clothes, he went out again, downtown this time. There, he ate a hamburger on the way to the main street, where there were several open shops, waiting for potential clients to head their way.

He would be one of them, naturally. A few weeks ago, he had realized that he needed some new clothes, so he stepped into one shop that caught his attention. Behind the windows there was the kind of apparel he liked the most.

"Hello, sir. Can I help you?" an old man asked him, walking towards him while fiddling with a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles.

"Um… sure. I was looking at those jeans you have right here," Colby said, pointing at a wall that featured several pairs of pants.

"Let's see." The man went towards that wall and took some of the jeans so Colby could see them better. "This is a lovely item of ours. It's a pair ofclassic straight jeans, very comfortable, best quality."

Colby took the garment and analyzed it very carefully. That wasn't his style. There had to be something better. And when he said, "I was looking for something more—" he saw what he really wanted.

He gave the man the pair of jeans and stared at another that was on a mannequin. "I'd like to see that one," he said, pointing at it, and the seller went to get one for him from the warehouse. When he was back, he gave the jeans to Colby so he could look at them the same way he had done with the other.

This second pair of jeans was jet black and extremelytight. Colby ran his fingers over it, feeling the rough fabric, imagining how he'd look like in those clothes, and finally told the seller that he'd buy that one.

"Fantastic. It'll give you a slim fit, perfect for a fine gentleman like you."

Colby smiled shyly, rubbed the back of his neck.

That… and something else. "Um… I was looking for underwear, too," he added in a soft tone.

"Of course. Please, follow me, sir."

After going to another corner of the store, the man pulled out an entire line of fantastic briefs from a drawer. Some of them had little sexy patterns on them, but even then, the one that drew Colby's attention was the simplest one. _The black one_.

Colby smiled. That was exactly what he wanted. And with that and the jeans, he went back home.

He rested for a couple of hours, did some laundry and then started to feel a little bored. That was understandable, considering that Colby was used to action scenes and murders all week; every time his free day arrived, the sudden deceleration of his life made him uncomfortable.

Seated on his sofa, he rubbed his palms over his thighs. He needed to do something. Maybe he could go out again.

Finally, he decided to do it. There was one more thing he adored doing, and that he couldn't enjoy frequently because of work. This was a good opportunity to take out a good friend of his for a ride.

She would be ready. She always was.

Colby was about to go to get her, when his eyes fell on the bag with his new clothes. He had really liked those; maybe he could wear them all when he went out with his friend.

Walking with confidence, he went back to his bedroom, taking the bag with him. The first he did was checking that the curtains were closed and that no one could see him from outside.

He immediately took off his blue jacket and his shirt, and when his perfect torso was free of the weight of those garments, he turned around and opened his closet. There it was- one of his favorite t-shirts. It was tight and completely black, with "I Idaho" emblazoned on it in white against the outline of Colby's home state.

But before putting it on, he stripped to his light blue boxers and looked at the black underwear he had bought that afternoon.

Who would say anything if he used them? He could control what kind of clothes he wore, especially when it came to his underwear. No one was going to see them, anyway.

Without hesitation, Colby took off his boxers, rolling them down his firm legs and finally letting the underwear on the floor. His cock twitched at the feeling of being free, and bounced between his thighs while he walked towards the bed and grabbed the black briefs.

In a slow movement, he put them on, sliding them up his body and arranging them the way it should be. Now, he went to see himself on the mirror. To some extent, his muscular figure still managed to overwhelm him a little bit. He was a simple guy from Idaho, but years of training with the Army had given him a wonderfully built up body.

The feeling of silk right against the sensitive flesh of his length was unexpectedly pleasant, the soft caress of the light fabric sending shivers through his spine.

In the mirror, he looked at his own bulge. The shape of his cock was perfectly outlined by the tiny, dark underwear, and his hip bones were delightfully marked, as well as the rest of the lines of his body.

Smiling at how good he looked, Colby slowly turned around to see how the briefs looked from behind. The reflection showed him a well rounded ass being held by a good support system.

Not that he needed it, though. His ass was firm and attractive, and he knew it.

Colby's grin grew wider, and after taking a look at how good his back looked, his impressive muscles giving him a sense of power, he returned to the bed and grabbed the clothes he wanted to use.

He put on the jeans first. Black denim being pulled up, meeting the black fabric of his sexy underwear. He looked at himself on the mirror, too. His bare chest and feet made him think for a moment that he would look extremely attractive to the opposite sex.

The "I Idaho" t-shirt followed. More black, with little lines in white and a nice message, perfect for a farm boy.

Socks and a pair of black sneakers were next, and then a dark jacket that he loved to wear sometimes, even when he was at work.

And of course, his favorite sunglasses. There was no question he would use them well this time.

Before leaving, Colby took his keys and locked his apartment. Now it was time for a good moment of loneliness, possibly even more important than the one he had had that morning when running along the beach.

He walked five blocks and entered a certain place named "Al's Motors Repair."

A kid dressed like a rapper looked up when Colby walked in. "Hey, Mr. Granger," he said.

"Hey. Is Jenny ready?" Colby asked, taking off his glasses.

"Yeah, she is," the guy told him. "Follow me, man."

And when they got to the garage, the kid guided the agent to a certain corner of it.

Colby grinned when he saw her.

His Harley Davidson was there, waiting for him.

Jenny. His old friend. His girl.

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_**A/N: FEEDBACK IS LOVE.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** **"To be in control" – Part 4/5**  
**Characters:** Colby.  
**Rating:** M.  
**Spoilers:** None.

**Warnings:** None.  
**Summary:** Colby goes for a ride.

**Author's note:** This was written for the "All about Colby" challenge on savecolby community all over at LiveJournal.

**Feedback:** I love feedback. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it.  
**Beta:**_Thanks to my amazing beta._

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**To be in Control**

_Part 4__/5_

_What does it feel like to be alone with the road?_

_Awareness of reality._

_It's just you and Mother Nature all around. Soft wind caressing your face… making you feel alive…_

_Making you realize that life itself is worthy. _

_Of course there are lots of things you need to fix. You're not perfect. No one is._

_But you have to carry a heavier burden than most people, and you know it. _

_You sweat when you enter the field. You sweat when people are around you. You sweat every time you open your mouth to express an opinion._

_They're all watching. All the time._

_And yet, you're here. _

_On the road, there are no witnesses. There are no victims of your past actions._

_There are no limits._

_Because once you've hit the floor and you've realized that you've been building a lie… a lie that has come out, so your secret screws up your life… then you don't have anything left to lose. You've wasted it all, and there are no broken pieces you can pick and try to put together again._

_The only thing you can do is deal with the problem and start from scratch. It'll always be hard, and you won't always be supported. But that's your only hope, so you hold on to it, trying not to let go, no matter what happens… And eventually, little by little, your world starts to connect again with others, it starts to gain a similar shape to the one that thing called "life" has. _

_The main issue is how to keep it that way, how to keep yourself going. Thank God for free days. They bring the only moments your mind can think in peace._

_Without the sounds of the city. Without the feeling of knowing that the coffee machine needs to be fixed. Without the awareness that you have to choose the right words very carefully, because anything you say can make you lose the little part of trust you've been able to win back._

_You're face to face with your thoughts. You connect with your own conscience._

_It's not nice. Some memories just can't be erased._

_But they can be put beside the new ones, the loving fresh memories that the present creates. And the good moments can make up for the sad ones; they can even make the ones you most regret start to hurt a little less._

_This is what the road provides. This is what a moment for yourself can bring up. A chance to measure what you've lost and what you've achieved. A chance to evaluate the changes and count how many people are still willing to back you up._

_They'll be there for you. A long time ago, they had their doubts about you, but they forgave you. That's what really matters. That's real friendship._

_And when you have real friends, you have a real life. _

_You're real._

_You have to take care of your people. You can do anything you want, as long as you're prudent. You can't push your loved ones' limits again; you need to make them feel sure that you're not holding more secrets from them._

_Oh, well. You'll always have secrets. You'll never tell them that you like to bake brownies while being naked. You'll never let them know you like to go running and take several showers during your free day. And they'll surely never find out that you love to take your Harley Davidson for a ride on the evening so you can thank them in silence for their unconditional support._

_They even let you take the day away from them; they don't bother you when you need time. They know you have to take a step aside for a few hours, and they never get mad at you because of that._

_So, thanks. Thanks to all of them._

_The road is empty. You're about to reach the city again. Does that matter? Yeah, it probably does. But your people are waiting to see you tomorrow again, you're an important part of their lives. You need to support them and to fulfill your duties as much as you can, as long as you can, as well as you can._

_And so, you take a deep breath and head towards the streets or L.A. Sure, it's not a safe world, and maybe it'll never be. But people are trying to live the best way they can. Just like you._

_You can do it. You can go back to dangerous land, because you're wiser, you have a better understanding of things and relationships. You won't let yourself go down the same wrong path again._

_You can return because you've fixed it all._

_And because you've learned to be fearless._

_So go. There is nothing to be afraid of._

_You're in absolute control of yourself._

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_**A/N: FEEDBACK IS LOVE.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** **"To be in control" – Part 5/5**  
**Characters:** Colby.  
**Rating:** M.  
**Spoilers:** None.

**Warnings:** None.  
**Summary:** Colby's free day comes to its end.

**Author's note:** This was written for the "All about Colby" challenge on savecolby community all over at LiveJournal.

**Feedback:** I love feedback. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it.  
**Beta:**_Thanks to my amazing beta._

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**To be in Control**

_Part 5__/5_

It was eight p.m. when Colby arrived home. He had left his motorcycle, his beloved Jenny, at a rented garage; no more journeys today.

He had also bought a pizza on the way back. After all, he had already cooked today, and he was so tired that anything edible looked good at the moment.

After changing into a comfortable white t-shirt and a pair of shorts, he went to the fridge and pulled out a beer and the tray of brownies he had left there that morning. He bit one of the brownies and told himself that it was too cold; he didn't like it that way, the low temperature somehow made the brownie lose some of its flavor.

As it was summer, the heat of the apartment would probably warm up the brownies; he could eat them as dessert. So he took the pizza and the beer to the living room and put them on his coffee table. Finally, he sat on his favorite big sofa and turned on the TV.

It was hard for him not to watch war movies, because they always brought memories about Dwayne and his old friends from the Army. It was also hard not to stare at the images of a car chase in a reality show, because it was obviously related to Colby's job. But he managed to avoid thinking about work and pain and murders. He started flipping channels and smiled when he found a Travis Tritt concert that had taken place a couple of months ago.

He hadn't seen that one yet, but of course, he knew all the lyrics. Happily, he hummed the melodies one by one while he ate the pizza. Most of the portions were soon gone, and maybe the great feeling the music brought to his heart were the reason why he was now craving something sweet and tasty.

Something like mint chocolate brownies, because eating them while watching the concert was a great end to his day. The only thing that was left was maybe a friend to talk to for a minute, even if Colby was happy that his team had left him spend his free day on his own.

_Maybe I could…_ Without hesitation, he took his cell phone and dialed a number. "David?"

"Oh… hi, Colby…"

"Am I bothering you?" Colby teased, knowing already what had surprised David.

"No, no… It's just that you like to spend your free day alone, and now all of a sudden you're calling me…"

"Ha, that's true…," the green-eyed agent had to admit. He rubbed the back of his neck, while he thought of an excuse. "I don't know. I guess I felt a little alone and just wanted to hear a familiar voice…"

"Oh…"

"Sorry to bother you. I guess you guys must be very busy there, huh?"

David seemed to be more relaxed now. He was actually laughing a little bit when he said, "Yeah, we are…"

"Do you need me to go there, give you a hand or something?" Colby asked, getting up and taking a look at his living room, looking for his pants while he waited for David's answer.

"Nah, we can handle it, don't worry. Enjoy your free day. You deserve it."

Laughing, Colby stopped looking for his clothes and stood in his place, one hand on his hip. "Yeah… I guess I do, after jumping onto moving vehicles, throwing myself at rivers and climbing houses, don't I?"

He could hear David's laughter on the other side of the line. "Probably."

"Ok… so you really have it all covered?"

"Colby, please. Just rest. End your day well. You'll have to work for the next six days, so relax now, when you actually can," David firmly stated.

Overwhelmed by how his friend asked him to take things easy, Colby took a deep breath and sat on the sofa again. "I'll try. Thanks, man."

"Enjoy the rest of the evening. See you tomorrow."

"See you soon."

Slowly, the agent closed his phone and stared at it for half a minute. _They're fine. They're there for me. They will always be, if I don't let them down again._

He was finally able to leave his cell phone on the coffee table, and then he reached for another brownie. When he took a bite, it seemed to be more delicious than the ones he had eaten before. _It must be the joy. Yeah, it has to be it._

The concert hadn't ended yet. Now, the singer of the band was asking the public to howl at the moon like old wolfs who felt alone and knew they had made mistakes, but were trying to do what they thought was better.

So Colby howled. While people in the crowed did it on screen, he mimicked them inside his empty apartment. Confidently, he raised hit beer as if he was making a toast and howled.

There was nothing he could do to recover what he used to have but try his best. Emotionally speaking, it still would be hell from time to time, but it would also be so worthy. _So be it. My friends are trying, and that is more than enough for me to try, too._

Soon, Colby fell asleep. A few minutes later, the change of music made him wake up; Travis Tritt wasn't on TV anymore, so he turned it off. Suddenly, he could see that his place was a little bit of a mess, but he was so tired that all he could do was thank that he had bought food to go. The only thing he had to do was throw the rest of the pizza, its box and the beer bottles to the trash, and put the rest of the brownies in the fridge again.

He was able to brush his teeth and wash his face without falling asleep. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stepped into his dark bedroom and went towards his bed. It was a little bit cold, but that was good. It was summer and he loved to wrap the fresh sheets around, hold his pillow while resting his head on it. _No naked sleeping tonight. Free day's over_.

Not being able to stay awake any longer, Colby got into his favorite sleeping position and yawned. But he didn't close his eyes yet.

He took a look at the room that surrounded him. Everything was pretty much in the same place it had been when he had woken up that morning, simply because he had been at the apartment only for a few hours. And still, everything looked so different.

There was something wonderful about this feeling, the one that he used to get every time he went to sleep in his free day. The sounds of the city were still there, reminding him that he lived in L.A. and that he wasn't an Idaho guy anymore, he was an FBI Agent who had to risk his life all the time in order to save others.

But even if it was dangerous, it was OK. He had everything he needed not to back out because of how ashamed he felt for his past actions.

_You have your favorite band on TV, you have a job you love… you have friends. You've got the life you chose… A _life_, no matter how unusual or different it is from the one others have._

_And maybe you don't have everything you want, but you have everything you need._

_That will give you the courage to live the way you know it's right. You'll make decisions and transform them into actions. You'll take your convictions and base every single step on them._

_You're not so far from getting back what's really important. Happiness is not that far away anymore. Not if you stay in control._

Slowly, everything started to turn darker and darker… Colby could feel the way his body was losing its energy, the way his eyes couldn't stay open anymore…

He could feel the fabric of the pillow brushing his fingertips. His body felt heavy, like it was being glued to the bed and the sheets were dragging him even closer to the mattress.

Colby knew he was about to fall asleep again. And when he let himself do it, the last thing he saw was the barely open window and the moonlight flooding part of the carpet.

He'd have almost a week to get worried about criminals and how crazy the world was. But now, he was at peace with himself, and that was all that mattered at the end of his free day.

_**THE END**_

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_**A/N: FEEDBACK IS LOVE.**_


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